Procrastinating More? Your Values Might Be Shifting

Procrastination can cause problems for anyone, but as small business owners, what happens when we lose our drive to get things done? 

Putting things off can derail a business by hurting our reputation, upsetting relationships with valued clients, and creating an environment in which decisions are made hastily or sloppily.

And when you combine procrastination with the global pandemic, stay at home orders, and a home work/school environment, its effects are amplified.

So how do we take on procrastination in our current world? And what is our procrastination telling us? Read on to find out if your new reality has changed your perspective and get six tips to line up your values with business goals, or jump straight to the tips here.

Procrastination in a Pandemic

Let's start by talking about how our world has changed. 

The pandemic has had a psychological impact on many, and possibly changed our desire to achieve many of the things we did before it began. Here are some changes you might be experiencing:

• Work and home life blend can lead to burnout as we strive to give our all to both family and business.
• Distractions in a new environment can lead to underachievement—we might be getting less done. 
• Low motivation = more procrastination: Getting less done can perpetuate the tendency to procrastinate. In fact, we may be deferring important business activities, such as additional sales and marketing, until the pandemic is over, justifying that we will restart once we can meet our clients face to face again.  

Changing World, Shifting Values

These changes might be affecting us on a deeper level by reshaping our values. Here's how. 

Increased emphasis on work-life balance

Anxiety about the state of the world, unemployment, homeschooling and childcare issues, and dealing with illness and loss, may have caused us to revisit what's most important to us. 

For example, before the pandemic, one of our highest values may have been to increase business revenue at the expense of time with family, so that we could provide for the future. 

Now perhaps the values of belonging, spending quality time with family, and living for those precious moments may have taken precedence over hustling. 

This might cause us to lose motivation for tasks that previously seemed important. By challenging the status quo in our lives, we might be allowing a pattern of procrastination to set in, before we even realize it.

Reduced social interaction

Lacking social interaction is another likely reason for procrastination during the pandemic. Social interaction is good for all of us—it connects us to a larger whole, prompts us to be on our toes and take better care of ourselves. 

It also releases valuable neurochemicals that stimulate our brains and bodies, motivating us to move forward with initiatives and plans, and to stay productive. In short, it's a lifeline to business owners. 

When we have fewer in-person interactions, we may even begin to question our values surrounding our work. And if it diminishes our drive to excel, we may procrastinate on tasks that no longer seem in service to shifting values.  

Historic societal shifts

The heightened conversation about politics, race, police brutality, redefining institutions, and the changing of societal norms has increased uncertainty about our future. As we think about and debate how society will change, work may seem less important. 

Change and uncertainty can lead to fear and insecurity on a personal level, causing some of us to question the direction of our lives. And more free hours in the day allow us the opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of things. 

Here are some questions you might be wrestling with:

• What has the utmost meaning to us? 
• Have we replaced the importance of our business actions with activities that reflect shifting values, such as more time with loved ones, preparing for an early retirement, mentoring, and giving back?
• How might these reflections affect the future of our business? 

In this context, procrastination might be a byproduct of a subconscious desire to change, if even slightly, telling us to allocate less energy to business tasks.

6 Ways to Protect Your Business From Procrastination  

Your reasons for procrastination may not include a shift in values, but rather reflect a temporary condition based on the instability and overwhelming responsibility of running your business during the pandemic. 

If that's the case, allow yourself some grace and determine what comes next.  

However, if you've noticed that your values have shifted and you want to incorporate them into your business, there are a number of ways to do it.

1. Plan for the long term 

Evaluate what matters to you and what you want your life to look like over the next 10 years. What role does your business play in your vision? 

The long view will help you determine what changes you need to make to hit your goals by honoring shifts that have occurred as a result of the pandemic. 

An assessment of your top values will help you gain clarity as you create goals that align with who you are and what outcomes you want to have.

2. Keep a journal  

Learn what is really on your mind by getting thoughts out of your head and onto a page or into a computer document each morning. 

This is a great routine to review your thoughts, ideas, and emotions objectively, peeling back multiple layers and finding important answers within. 

Often the thing that is standing in our way is something very simple, and the act of writing can inform and inspire us. 

3. Create a new business model based on a revised strategic plan  

If you decide to downsize or scale up based on your vision, how will you do that? What are the options? 

Brainstorm and make a comprehensive list detailing how you might restructure your business to accommodate the changes. Think outside of the box and come up with ideas that you may not have considered possible before. 

As we’ve seen during this time, there are endless possibilities, and it's up to us  to tap into this new reality with a bit of creative thinking.

4. Reverse engineer your 10-year vision

If you've decided to restructure your business so that you can free up more time, what does that look like? What is your revised income plan, and what strategies will you implement to achieve that new plan? 

Chunk large goals into small ones, and start creating change knowing that daily small steps will help you achieve your goals quickly and sustain your efforts long term. 

5.  Stick with your online business model

As we've discovered during the pandemic, there are many benefits of taking businesses online. 

With reduced commute time and accessibility to clients via Zoom, the possibility of adding more productive hours to our day has been realized.

Consider designating days in your weekly schedule as “virtual” days to complement an in-person meeting strategy. When possible, use the flexibility of the virtual workplace by offering your employees the option to work a few days at home. 

Not only will your company save money on expenses, this may also be an important benefit to your staff, allowing them more valued time at home and a reduction in commute time, expenses, and stress.  

6. Talk to a business coach 

Accelerate your success by hiring a coach. 

Business coaches are trained to help you identify the changes you want to make and build a strategic action plan to get you there, holding you accountable to do the work. 

They're valuable members of your team and can save you time and money by helping you course correct based on the vision that you hold for your business and life. 

Operating your business in alignment with your values and vision will increase productivity, create clear direction, and open the way for greater revenue. 

Align your values with your business goals to thrive

There is no question that there have been many changes as a result of the pandemic. Shifting values and priorities play a greater role in our lives than we might know or understand. 

Procrastination can be a sign that we're not honoring our values. And by expanding awareness of yourself and your behaviors, you'll discover what has changed for you, if anything. 

In fact, procrastination might be seen as positive if you use it to illuminate internal changes in response to shifts in your external world. During this time, as former values possibly give way to an evolving reality, we must think about realigning our business with those values.

Clear vision and planning is the antidote to procrastination. Once your vision aligns with your values and you create a plan, the stresses that once plagued you become motivational assets that will propel you into a future you love. 

Join Us 

If you're interested in being part of a community of like-minded, purpose-driven business leaders on Alignable, join us in the Conscious Business Owners Group where we discuss topics on mindfulness and awareness as it relates to business. 

We can't wait to meet you!